TWENTY-SEVENTH BIENNIAL I{i;i'(»in'. K).') 



recreation of our residml citizens. It is tlic\, rjithcf tli;iii vdiir tniiiihle 

 servants, who ask increase in the liccMsc iMtrs. Tln'v Wriim- us dciruitifls 

 that are to ))e iiK't in no othei- way, atui flcchicc since the resi)oiisil)ility 

 is theirs, they wisli to Hn.ince the jol) upon a 1"() per cent hasis. 



The bienniuiu i)rece(lin^- was remarkable in its showing' of sustained 

 interest in outdoor sports whicli even the terrific distractions of world- 

 wide war proved powerless to discouraiic I'^oiluwiuL; it, in Ucj-icid 

 seqnence, the retnrn of our younj^' service men, liardene<| hy military 

 trainino", inured to roup'hc^st adversities of "campin<i-out " in climates 

 far less charitable than their California, and further familiarized witii 

 tirearms, naturally has brouji'ht (piite tlie increase in rod and uiui eutlin- 

 siasm we predicted, and more; with all that entails from the intensely- 

 interested viewpoint of those whose eft'or-ts are devoted to this irreat 

 work of wild-life conservation. 



After so undeniable a demonstration of the vitality of sportinir enthu- 

 siasm as the last two years of war show^ed, surely no grreat stretch of fore- 

 sight was needed to predict that witli si^ninu- of the Ai-mistii-e woidd 

 start an entirely new era in the world of outdoors. i'e(piii-inu' the redoub- 

 linjof of all official efforts toward maintainino- our splendid si)ortin<; 

 attractions in this great state of sportsmen. 



That such predictions, however extravagant they then seemed, have 

 fallen far short of post-war experience, scarcely calls for apoloiry. 

 Neither need we assume blame for a condition we could not change in 

 our present financial inability to adequately meet such situation under 

 the existing system of granting for one dollar, access to an aggregate 

 tonnage of game or of fish which lawfully may be taken by the sporting 

 licensee in ([uantities to be worth for food alone, a thousand times that 

 modest sum. 



Should this statement seem overdrawn, one needs only to measure 

 mentally the mountain of game that our liberal seasons and bag limits 

 allow the licensed hunter during the year. The appalling conclusion 

 then is forced that were even a small percentage of our (luarter-million 

 hunting licensees fully to avail themselves of this privilege for which 

 they have paid one paltry dollar, California's fields, marshes and 

 mountains speedily would be depo|)ulated of game; the ducks, geese, 

 snipe ; the deer, quail, doves, rabbits, grouse, scpiirrels but a memory— 

 and a nightmare at that ! 



In the case of fresh-water game-fish, for which the same nominal dol- 

 lar-license is collected, the annual tonnage becomes even more appalling 

 when it is remembered that seasons are longer, without weekly limita- 

 tions upon the bag. ^More particularly does this situation challenge the 

 consideration of sporting conservationists when it is realized that our 

 fresh-water game-fishing, when not actually artificially estalilished. has 

 been, at least for years past, virtually ui)on an artificially-nuiintained 



Herein, we have the anomalous and indefensible situation of a self- 

 supporting sport with innumerable business as]-)e('ts. which now 

 threatens no longer to support itself because each atlditional licensee 

 may prove a liability rather than the asset of anteliellum days when 

 his dollar paid for raising and distributing more trout than the average 

 angler took from our streams during the year. Further comjdication is 



